FR
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Very well organized
Everything was perfect, Thomas was so nice and carefull, he explains us many rhing about South Africa !
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Well organised and exceeded expectations
I did an 8 day small group tour to Botswana and Zimbabwe. Compared to other tour operators this was great value for money. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, helpful and easy to talk to. Nothing was too much trouble including ways to charge my camera battery whilst camping. He was very experienced so knew all the signs to look out for to maximise our opportunities to see a variety of wildlife. We got to see everything I was hoping for from a close distance. The team who put up our tents, provided hot water for showers and cooked for us were v friendly and efficient. The food was delicious and the accommodation comfortable. The campsites were in beautiful locations with animals passing close by. Transfers were seamless. I have travelled to over 80 countries and this was the best tour I have done.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
2-day safari to Murchison Falls National Park and Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
The entire process with Bush Craft Safaris was seamless. Innocent was very responsive throughout the entire booking process. He was willing to accommodate any changes I made, and to work with our schedule. Our driver, Alan, was very friendly and kept the entire trip entertaining. He picked us up on time and made sure we were always informed on what to expect. The jeep was very comfortable and we were able to relax and enjoy the drive.
The safari itself was amazing! My husband and I both loved the private environment and all the animals we were able to see. It was such a beautiful environment and amazing to see 4/5 of the big five in their natural environments. This safari included a private boat tour on the Nile, which was so much fun and was very relaxing. Overall this was an incredible experience and I couldn't recommend it enough!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Best trip of our life with best guide, Willy!
We had an unforgettable honeymoon safari experience thanks to Soul of Tanzania and our amazing guide, Wilbard "Willy" Kivuyo. Our journey designer, Marta, helped us customize the level of accomodation for each stop, which allowed us to be specific with our preferences and cost, which was unique to Soul of Tanzania. We also appreciated the detailed itinerary that she created. One of the biggest things we were nervous about leading up to the safari, no matter which company we chose, was who our guide would end up being. If you're spending 7 days on the road with someone, you'd want it to be with a guide like Willy! He's a joy to be around and we appreciated his sense of humor and positive energy — he was somehow always upbeat even after hours of driving on bumpy roads and long travel days. We were grateful to have such an experienced guide. He's been doing this for years and guiding runs in his family. This meant Willy knew where to look for animals while also avoiding getting stuck behind other tour groups. He was always sharing interesting, fun facts and was flexible based on what we wanted to see/do. We saw all the animals we could have ever hoped for and it was a truly magical, life-changing experience! We made the choice to travel to the northern Serengeti in hopes of seeing the Great Migration. Without having to wait long we saw not one, but two incredible wildebeest crossings. Willy got us great viewing positions and it made the extra driving so worth it... just WOW!
We were also very satisfied with the accommodations. The staff, views, comfort, and cleanliness were second to none. We just wish we had more time at each lodge and that is the one thing we would've done differently. We pretty much stayed only one night in each lodge and it made for some long drives. Some of the travel times quoted in the itinerary were shorter than in reality, so that could be improved as it may have changed some of our travel decisions.
While this safari was definitely a splurge, we spent every second in awe and are so thankful to Willy, Soul of Tanzania, and each lodge for making it an unforgettable experience. We are fortunate to travel a lot and we both agreed that this was hands down our favorite trip ever, and one we won't soon forget!
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The highly professional Penfam team made our dream trip to Africa come to life and unforgettable!
We booked an African trip of a lifetime through Penfam Tours & Travel and we cannot say enough how highly we recommend them. We are in our late 40’s and traveled with our 18-year-old twins, and 75-year-old parents. My husband lived in Nairobi 30 years ago, so we knew we wanted to take a tour around the city and also visit some old friends. We also wanted to go on safari in the Nairobi National Park and the Masai Mara, with a side trip to the Turkana region to check on a non-profit we were involved with, finishing the trip with a beach vacation in Zanzibar Tanzania. Peter Gichina (owner of Penfam tours) was instrumental in helping us plan the trip and providing recommendations along the way.
We began the travel planning process with a zoom call with Peter, to discuss the logistics of a custom travel plan, confirming which legs of the trip we needed Peter’s help with and which portions we would book ourselves. We proceeded through the travel plans via email with Peter, going over accommodation recommendations (based on budget and availability), activity reservations, flight bookings/information, driver bookings and safety information. Once we were ready to finalize booking, Peter gave us instructions to wire the down payment (and later the final payment) in US dollars (this was a learning curve for us as one of our banks would wire in USD and the other would not, but we got it done!).
Throughout the planning process and leading up to our arrival, Peter Gichina happily provided any and all information and services that we needed to make our trip perfect and more! Peter welcomed us at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport – our flight didn’t arrive at the usual gate, so it took us a few minutes to find each other, but we understood there could be travel glitches like that. You can rest assured that Peter and his team will be there to pick you up. Peter set us up with a wonderful driver (also named Peter) for our trip, who drove us in a 6-seater safari land cruiser that was impeccably clean, well-maintained, complete with phone charging capability and more.
At the start of our trip, Peter (driver) drove us through Nairobi to the Nairobi National Park, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (baby elephant orphanage), the Giraffe Centre (to see and feed giraffes), the Karen Blixen Museum (Out of Africa author and setting), the Kazuri Beads Factory (a charity that provides employment for African women), and to various other stops we wanted to make.
We stayed at the historical Norfolk Hotel while we were in Nairobi and loved it. The Norfolk has a buffet breakfast, a steak restaurant, and bar menu. The food was great.
Every trip has its glitches and ours was that our daughter fell quite ill the night before we were planning to drive to the Masai Mara. Peter drove us to the Nairobi Hospital the following morning, where he assured us she would receive excellent care and she did! We left the hospital and drove to the Masai Mara, where we stayed in the Saruni Base Camp luxury tents. Peter took us on several safaris, where we saw Lion, Cheetah, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, Giraffe, and much more. The highlight was watching a Leopard take down a Bushbuck….We were in the Mara during the great migration, so there were many other safari drivers and tourists. We were shocked to find that many of the drivers were not behaving themselves – they were boxing in animals and racing into the action, frightening the animals and cutting off other driver’s views. Peter was the utmost professional – he took great care to position the safari vehicle in just the right place for the perfect view and photo, while also making sure the animals were respected, and advising us on safety protocols. He also found us a lovely spot, where he laid out a blanket for us to have a picnic lunch under an acacia tree. As a side note, Penfam provided chilled bottles of water during our Nairobi tour days and a 5-gallon bottle of water with an electric pump in the Mara, to fill personalized reusable stainless steel water bottles which Penfam provided us with. Peter also thoroughly cleaned the vehicle between safaris, since it can get quite dusty at times. After a few days in the Mara, Peter drove us back to Nairobi, taking another route with a beautiful view of some tea farms. One piece of advice; if you want to see the migration you should book your trip at least a year in advance because this is the peak season for travel in Kenya. The best accommodations fill up fast. We booked ours 8 months in advance and we were very lucky to get the Saruni Base Camp.
During the next few days, Peter would deliver us to (or pick us up from) the airport as we continued the other legs of our journey, always advising us on when we should be ready to leave for the airport and collecting us right on time. He taught us how to negotiate at the curio shops along the way to the Mara (starting the negotiations at 50% and not settling for anything less than 75%) and had a good chuckle at our failures in negotiations. He always had interesting facts and stories, never lost his patience with all of our questions and needs. I must add that we fell in love with Peter – he took such excellent care of us and we were all sad to leave him at the end of our trip. For the last leg of our trip, we stayed at the Bluebay Resort in Zanzibar, per Peter Gachina’s recommendation, and it was the perfect and most relaxing ending to our travels. I must say that we greatly appreciate the professionalism of Peter Guchina and his Penfam team. They took great care in making our travels more than we could have ever asked for. We would not hesitate to recommend Penfam as you plan your custom dream vacation in Africa!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Outstanding operator
Our safari experience through Maasai Mara, Naivasha, and Amboseli with Vibeway Safaris was nothing short of exceptional.
From the planning and booking process to the actual excursions, the team was highly professional, responsive, and attentive to every detail.
The accommodations were comfortable, clean, and offered excellent meals. Our tour guide demonstrated great knowledge, courtesy, and care throughout the trip.
We had an unforgettable experience and would highly recommend Vibeway Safaris to anyone seeking a well-organized and memorable safari adventure in Kenya.
Made our experience at Vic Falls an experience of a lifetime!
I went to Vic Falls with my family - we were a group of 8 including 2 children. Our trip was last minute and yet Fuhara helped us to do all the activities we wanted! Casper and Pretty were lovely and appreciated their help and Casper’s tour of the Vic Falls
CN
20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome
Big up to our guide David. He was the best and showed us many animals and explain everything. See you next year with a bigger group.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Once in a Lifetime Experience!
When looking for the perfect African safari it is very easy to get lost in the searches and the amenities offered at each. I am SO happy we chose Krueger Safari through the Greenfire Lodge for our stay. The communication in booking was always very clear and we received responses quickly. We booked our stay fairly last minute but the agents and when we got to the lodge the actual staff blew us away.
We arrived in late September and temps ranged from about 55-80 degrees F. It was the perfect weather and it was a nice time to catch animals as they migrated through the park. The Safari shuttle picked us up from the Johannesburg Airport and from there it was about a 5 hour drive to the park. From there, our guide Victor picked us up and took us on about another 25 minute drive to the lodge. When we arrived we were welcomed with open arms and juice ready for us. We were then shown to our villa which was stunning! Every villa sleeps two and has about a 180 degree view from the windows and porch out overlooking the river. During our stay just from our room we saw giraffes, elephants, cape buffalos, monkeys, and could hear hyenas running around us at night.
Each day we had a 3 hour morning drive and an evening drive, with a break in the middle to get out and stretch our legs. The break in the evenings included a nice adult beverage if you so chose. The first day we arrived we saw the big 5 plus some! Elephants, Cape Buffalo, Giraffes, a Lion, Leopard, Hyena, Springbok, and Rhinos just in the first drive! We understood that was a rarity and the staff said as much, but it was the most amazing time and that was just day one. We stayed for 3 nights and each day we were served a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Dinner was sometimes a 4 course meal served with a palate cleanser between courses. Everything was included in the price we paid with the exception of alcoholic drinks, which we paid for at the end of our stay. The staff was incredible and were so accommodating to dietary restrictions if needed.
I cannot express enough how great of an experience this was for us and how if we ever book another trip to South Africa we will most definitely be staying here again. From the staff, the evening turn down service that included a sweet bedtime story, the animals, the food.. it was a once in a lifetime experience. There are so many safaris to choose from but at Greenfire there are only 9 villas so it's a very intimate experience catered to you. Cannot recommend this safari enough!
BE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Quality safari with reliable service and excellent guide
We booked a 2 days safari in Masaai Mara from Nairobi. Everything was well organized and the lodge comfortable. Our guide and driver Andrew did a fantastic job finding animals and approaching them as much as possible. It really was an unforgettable experience!